NASHUA, Iowa — Giant pumpkins, flowers planted in quilt block designs, eggplant in many colors and shapes and flower varieties that are getting hardier and more colorful each year were featured at the recent Iowa State University Demonstration Home Garden field day at the Nashua Research Farm. Cindy Haynes, ISU horticulture associate professor, who coordinates the demonstration gardens, said research farm superintendents are competing to see who can grow the largest pumpkin. The favorite part of the garden for Haynes is an area where Pecinovsky planted marigolds, petunias and vinca in two red, gold and white quilt block patterns she designed. A fourth of the garden was planted to tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, beans, sweet corn and zinnias in soils amended or not amended with compost. Egg plant varieties ranging from the standard deep purple Epic to purple striped Listada de Gandia, green Applegreen, white Ghostbuster, orangish red Jilo Tingua Verde to the small Red Ruffled, which resembles miniature pumpkins, are all producing abundantly. Myrna Ross, whose late husband, Ken, was research farm superintendent for many years, still helps Pecinovsky with the garden.

Tags: quilting fabrics, quilting machines, farm, quilting frames, pumpkins, longarm quilting